The Waiting Room

Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down

Won’t Back Down, by Tom Petty
From the CD, Full Moon Fever, MCA 1989.

So, I told the student who committed the plagiarism that she would have to repeat the class. She was very angry with me.

Student: But I did the pre-project assignments and all the homework.

SS: Yes you did. But, because you plagiarized your final paper, you only received 50/100 for the research paper. Plus, you chose not to do your presentation, which was another 50 points and 10% of your final grade. And you failed the exam you took yesterday. When I added everything, you received 65% for the course. (A student must have 70% to pass)

Student: But I don’t understand. I can’t take this class over because I can’t get no financial aid. So I gotta pay out of my own pocket. And I was supposed to graduate. You ruined it for me.

(Excuse me... ’ruined it for her”? I did not tell her to make the choices that she made).

SS: While I am sympatric to your financial situation, I cannot justify giving you a passing grade. You have 65%. Also, you did not complete a major portion of the course requirements.

The Student stomps out of the room, mutter something under her breath that I could not understand, but I have not doubt that it contained my name along with a few cuss words.

Later in the faculty room, the Associate Dean of Students comes to see me. She is waiving an appeal form in my face. Her tone is angry and arrogant.

ADS: What is the story with this student? Why are you failing her? She said she completed her assignments…

SS: Did she tell you about the fact that she plagiarized her final paper?

ADS: Yes, but I don’t think you should fail her.

SS: Well, did she also tell you that she refused to do her oral presentation, and received 0/50?

ADS: No…

SS: Did she also tell you that she failed yesterday’s exam?

ADS: No, but I can’t see how she could fail…

So, I showed her my grade book.

ADS: Isn’t there anything that can be done? You are not being fair.

SS: No. I am not backing down from this. You cannot commit plagiarism, refuse to complete a required element of my class, receive a total grade of 65% AND expect to pass my class. I think it is VERY FAIR.

Later, I talked to my boss, the Dean of Instruction, who incidentally outranks the Associate Dean of Students. She was pissed that the ADS confronted me in that manner. The ADS should have spoken to the DI. The DI said that the ADS spoke with her after talking to me. The ADS felt that I did not understand our students and was out of line and unfair. The DI told me that she agrees with me 100% and will back me up if this goes any further. The DI also told me that this is the second time this student was caught for plagiarism!!!!

So, if I understand the culture at my college, we reward plagiarism and poor academic performance by turning a blind eye because we need to “understand” the student’s plight. The concept that numbers do not lie means nothing. And to top it off, we take a student’s word over an instructor; we corner the instructor and have her justify her policies.

Am I missing something here?????